While it is clear that the human leg generally tapers from thigh to calf, and therefore that most lower body trousers or leggings will follow the narrowing width towards the foot, nonetheless there are circumstances where such a width is inconvenient or even dangerous. Additionally, there is often a fashion desire to reverse the visual appearance of the traditional taper, as is seen, for example, in so-called bell bottom pants, in which the diameter of the lower leg portion of the trousers may be significantly larger than expected, sometimes even larger than the thigh portion of the same garment. Throughout this description, it is intended that the word “trousers,” shall mean pants, leggings, or any other covering that covers one or both of the lower aspects of the leg.
For example, the traditional narrowing width makes it difficult, if not impossible, to put trousers or leggings on over boots or shoes. Early attempts to accommodate such are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,641,487 ('487) and 1,691,057 ('057). Each has distinct drawbacks. For example, the stretch panel of the '057 device has a necessarily limited range of accommodation, while the zippered closure of the '487 device is entirely fixed in the diameter of footwear that it might close around.
Other attempts have been made that avoid the traditional width relationship of pants. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,273 ('273), an entirely open lateral aspect of a trousers leg allows open expansion, but fails to prevent the trousers leg from flapping uncontrollably, or more dangerously, from becoming entangled on various objects. The firefighter's trousers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,007 ('007) utilize a zippered closure over an expansive area in which the zipper may be opened to allow expansion of the pant leg. This system causes additional bulk to the garment and is subject to the vagaries of any zippered closure.
The aforementioned articles of clothing, in their limited ways, have attempted to solve the structural limitations of traditionally tapered pants. However, there has been little or no effort to address the fashion aspects of such clothing. For example, the past art has generally provided for either an expanded or a contracted position, and not allowed for variability in the degree of displayed width. This is contrary to general fashion sense, in which the wearer is likely to want to vary the width from time to time. Additionally, past art has generally failed to use inserts to vary the width achieved, or has failed to appreciate the effects that may be gained by having inserts of different textures or materials, or inserts bearing certain decorative indicia, or even inserts bearing certain functional features, such as reflectors or pockets.
In short, the prior art has failed to provide a trousers or leggings design that allows for variable width, decoratively or functionally different materials compared to that of the main body of the trousers or leggings, or decorative or functional features that may be varied as part of the width varying mechanism. The present invention solves all these problems.